Economic Growth Foundation

TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL GROWTH OF GREATER CLEVELAND.

INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY:ABUNDANT TALENT REQUIRES INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY. OUR FOCUS IS DIVERSITY AT ALL LEVELS OF ENTERPRISES, FROM TEAM MEMBERS TO THE EXECUTIVE SUITE AND OWNERSHIP. WE WORK WITH PARTNERS TO GROW MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITIES AND TARGETED ADVISORY SERVICES. WE EXPAND DIVERSITY IN MEDIUM AND HIGH-WAGE POSITIONS BY REDUCING BARRIERS, SHARING BEST PRACTICES ON WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS, AND DEVELOPING MENTORSHIP NETWORKS. LASTY, WE PROMOTE DIGITAL EQUITY THROUGH DEVICE DONATIONS, AFFORDABLE BROADBAND ACCESS, AND DIGITAL LITERACY SUPPORT FOR ALL RESIDENTS. THE BELOW FURTHER HIGHLIGHTS OUR PRIORITIES:GROWING MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES: WE ARE FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE NUMBER, SCOPE, AND SCALE OF MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES. THROUGH THE OHIO MBDA BUSINESS CENTER, BUSINESS GROWTH COLLABORATIVE, AND EMERGING DEVELOPERS INITIATIVES BUSINESSES CAN ACCESS TARGETED GROWTH RESOURCES AND ADVISORS. CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITIES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH SUPPLIER INITIATIVES SUCH AS COMMITCLE, THE INCLUSION MARKETPLACE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION DIVERSITY INITIATIVES. WE PARTNERED WITH A CLEVELAND BUSINESS JOURNAL TO LAUNCH A NEW AWARDS PROGRAM FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BEST-IN-CLASS FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. THE AWARDS ARE BASED ON OUR EQUITY & INCLUSION ASSESSMENT. THE ANNUAL INCLUSION CONFERENCE HOSTED OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS AND OFFERED A WIDE VARIETY OF WORKSHOPS TO ATTENDEES. EGF OPENED THE OHIO MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUSINESS CHAMBERS ACROSS THE STATE. FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, THIS AGENCY SUPPORTS SCALING OF MBES. IT LEVERAGES COMMITCLE, A PROGRAM KEY TO SCALING MINORITY-BASED ENTERPRISES AND RECEIVED PLEDGES FROM 22 COMPANIES TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE SUPPLIER DIVERSITY. INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY: EGF SERVES AS A CONVENER AND RESOURCE FOR EMPLOYERS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. OUR WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES INCLUDE QUARTERLY DIVERSITY PROFESSIONALS GROUP MEETINGS, THE ANNUAL INCLUSION CONFERENCE AND THE CEO FORUM SERIES, ENGAGING THE REGION'S LEADERS TO COMMIT TO ACTION ON RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION. WE ALSO PROVIDE A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL TO HELP COMPANIES IDENTIFY THEIR STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT TOWARDS THEIR DIVERSITY GOALS. EGF PARTNERED WITH A SEATTLE BASED TECH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM BY BRINGING THEM TO CLEVELAND FOCUSING ON INCLUSIVE TECH TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND SKILLS-BASED REVIEW OF CANDIDATES. ENSURING DIGITAL EQUITY: EGF LEADS THE DEVICE DONATION AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR THE GREATER CLEVELAND DIGITAL EQUITY COALITION, A COLLECTIVE INITIATIVE OF CLEVELAND'S CORPORATE, PHILANTHROPIC, GOVERNMENTAL, K-12, HIGHER EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, WORKFORCE, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THE COALITION SECURES DEVICE DONATIONS, ADVOCATES FOR AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY BROADBAND, AND PROMOTES DIGITAL NAVIGATORS TO ASSIST RESIDENTS IN BOTH ACCESSING THESE RESOURCES AND LEARNING HOW TO USE THEM. THE COALITION FOSTERS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TOWARDS THE GOAL OF 100% OF RESIDENTS BEING CONNECTED.

TALENT:DYNAMIC BUSINESSES NEED ABUNDANT TALENT TO GROW. OUR FOCUS IS WORK-BASED LEARNING FOR IN-DEMAND JOBS BOTH FOR TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE. WE WORK WITH PARTNERS NOT ONLY TO INCREASE DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAM ENROLLMENTS AND COMPLETIONS IN GROWTH SECTORS, BUT ALSO TO EXPAND INTERNSHIPS, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND CO-OPS AND SUPPORT FOR PARTICIPANTS THROUGH INDUSTRY-LED PARTNERSHIPS WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TRAINING PROVIDERS. WE ALSO FOCUS ON BROADENING CAREER AWARENESS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH EXPOSURE AND PLACEMENT PROGRAMS THAT BUILD PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT. OUR AREAS OF FOCUS INCLUDE:INDUSTRY LED PARTNERSHIPS: SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS ARE DYNAMIC COLLABORATIONS OF EMPLOYERS, UNIVERSITIES, AND WORKFORCE PROVIDERS IN WHICH EMPLOYER-LED STRATEGIES DEVELOP AND CONNECT TALENT TO JOBS AND CAREER PATHWAYS. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE ARE WORKING TO MEET IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY NEEDS AND SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE CAREER PATHS. PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED IN THE MANUFACTURING, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, AND CONSTRUCTION SECTORS.WORK BASED LEARNING: INTERNSHIPS, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND OTHER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES BENEFIT BOTH STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS AND HELP THE REGION DEVELOP AND RETAIN TALENT FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. INTERNSHIPS AND CO-OPS AUGMENT CLASSROOM LEARNING WITH EXPERIENCE IN A PROFESSIONAL SETTING. APPRENTICESHIPS ARE SKILLS-BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT CREATE DIVERSE TALENT PIPELINES FOR EMPLOYERS WHILE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO ATTAIN A POST-SECONDARY CREDENTIAL WITH A CAREER TRACK.CAREER EXPOSURE: EGF SUPPORTS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS FOR STUDENTS THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AMONG SCHOOLS AND EMPLOYERS. INITIATIVES INCLUDE SERVING AS AN ANCHOR ORGANIZATION FOR CLEVELAND'S PACE PROGRAM AND ENGAGING BUSINESSES THROUGH PROCORPS WHICH PROVIDES CAREER EXPOSURE, TRUE2U, WHICH PROVIDES EIGHTH-GRADERS SUPPORT TO EXPLORE THEIR STRENGTHS, AND ACADEMIES OF CLEVELAND, WHICH FOCUSES ON CAREER PATHWAYS THAT DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH.RITE: THE LEADING INDUSTRY-DRIVEN IT WORKFORCE ALLIANCE IN GREATER CLEVELAND AND THE TECH TALENT ARM OF EGF, IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING A DIVERSE AND SKILLED TALENT PIPELINE FOR IN-DEMAND IT CAREERS. RITE ACCELERATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A QUALITY TALENT PIPELINE BY MOBILIZING EMPLOYERS, OPTIMIZING REGIONAL EFFORTS, AND DELIVERING PROGRAMMING. TO DATE, RITE HAS ENGAGED MORE THAN 130 REGIONAL EMPLOYERS, 46 STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND PROGRAM PARTNERS THAT INCLUDE EIGHT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND OVER 209 HIGH SCHOOLS IMPACTING 9,200 STUDENTS ACROSS THE REGION.

ADVOCACY:THE GREAT LAKES METRO CHAMBER COALITION IS A COLLECTIVE OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION THAT JOINTLY ADVOCATE ON CORE POLICY ISSUES, INCLUDING WATER QUALITY, IMMIGRATION REFORM, TRADE, AND TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE. EGF IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THIS COALITION. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO STAFF AND LEAD THE COALITION'S WORK.